Member Contributer lazyeye Posted March 21, 2016 Member Contributer Share Posted March 21, 2016 Greetings. My family and I are looking to ride through Jasper, Banf, and a probably as far north as Grande Prairie, AB. in early September. Is the weather still "nice" (not snowing, not constant rain) in early September? Do you have any recommendations? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dustin Posted March 22, 2016 Member Contributer Share Posted March 22, 2016 September can be hit or miss in the Rockies. I did some sightseeing in Banff and surrounding areas last September and we hit a lot of cold and rain. The high mountain passes also had snow but the roads were clear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MaxSwell Posted March 22, 2016 Member Contributer Share Posted March 22, 2016 +1/2 I was considering a trip out there at about the same time a while back; Olive warned me off due to just what Dustin said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer tucsondog Posted March 22, 2016 Member Contributer Share Posted March 22, 2016 Greetings from Calgary, AB.The road conditions can change daily, sometimes even multiple times a day, you'll need to stay on top of any weather reports. I would advise against riding up that way in September unless it has been quite warm. The mountains can spring storms on you very suddenly as the snow covered peaks interfere with weather radar, sometimes giving you only 20 minutes warning of an impending storm. Make sure you have a backup plan in case it does snow and carry warm things and some food with you just in case.It is an absolutely gorgeous ride though. My buddy and I did the trip to the Icefields before Stampede last year.https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10155885783930131.1073741848.681165130&type=1&l=9d6af58d42If you have any questions or want to know more about the area, feel free to let me know. When you get here in September, let me know and I will be more than happy to round up some of my VFR friends to show you some of the best photo spots and twisty roads Alberta has to offer.If you have the time, a ride to Radium Hot Springs, BC would be well worth a day of your time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellowgold Posted March 22, 2016 Share Posted March 22, 2016 Like others have said, the Rockies can be hit or miss at that time of year. Probably wouldn't be my first choice for timing to ride Alberta. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Polarbear Posted March 22, 2016 Member Contributer Share Posted March 22, 2016 Come to BC! The weather is more predictable. C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer lazyeye Posted March 22, 2016 Author Member Contributer Share Posted March 22, 2016 When is a better time to see the rockies? June, July, or August? @Polarbear: Where in BC would your recommend some clueless Americans go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer digitallyhip Posted March 22, 2016 Member Contributer Share Posted March 22, 2016 When is a better time to see the rockies? June, July, or August? @Polarbear: Where in BC would your recommend some clueless Americans go? "Back to the USA?" I kid. The Kootenays are beautiful, and close to Alberta. Long Beach (take the ferry from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver to Nanaimo and then ride up and across Vancouver Island) is spectacular and a lovely ride. There's a popular daytrip from Vancouver called the Duffy Loop that I would recommend, but not as a loop (I like to ride it one way and then turn around and thereby avoid the freeway altogether). If you make it to this area (I commute via that same ferry terminal), I know that Polarbear and I would be keen to ride with you. As long as I haven't offended you too badly by the opening question! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer LangoPTC Posted March 22, 2016 Member Contributer Share Posted March 22, 2016 When is a better time to see the rockies? June, July, or August? @Polarbear: Where in BC would your recommend some clueless Americans go? "Back to the USA?" I kid. Good one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer lazyeye Posted March 22, 2016 Author Member Contributer Share Posted March 22, 2016 Don't worry, I'll go home after seeing the sites and eating some poutine. When is a better time to see the rockies? June, July, or August? @Polarbear: Where in BC would your recommend some clueless Americans go? "Back to the USA?"I kid.The Kootenays are beautiful, and close to Alberta. Long Beach (take the ferry from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver to Nanaimo and then ride up and across Vancouver Island) is spectacular and a lovely ride. There's a popular daytrip from Vancouver called the Duffy Loop that I would recommend, but not as a loop (I like to ride it one way and then turn around and thereby avoid the freeway altogether).If you make it to this area (I commute via that same ferry terminal), I know that Polarbear and I would be keen to ride with you. As long as I haven't offended you too badly by the opening question! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer zoomzoom Posted March 23, 2016 Member Contributer Share Posted March 23, 2016 And you can't forget the sunny Okanagan Valley. If you head from Calgary to Banff then to Jasper via the Icefileds Parkway, you could turn around and head back to Banff stay the night, then head to BC the next day. From Banff to Kelowna is about 4.5 hours through some nice scenic roads. Head from Kelowna to Osoyoos and stop at the odd winery then up Anarchis Mountain down to Rock Creek and keep going on Hwy 3 towards the Kootenays toward Creston. The road from Creston to the Kootenays Bay ferry (Nelson) is rated as one of the best roads in BC according to the BCAA motorcycle handbook. I'm sure all of us could offer enough good riding to keep you going for weeks. LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer tucsondog Posted March 23, 2016 Member Contributer Share Posted March 23, 2016 This is your best bet for a quality ride from Calgary to Jasper.I recommend purchasing a Discovery Park Pass while you're here. It'll allow you access to all the national parks no matter where you go; 135$ CAD https://goo.gl/maps/p29hBA8hfv22 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Polarbear Posted March 24, 2016 Member Contributer Share Posted March 24, 2016 When is a better time to see the rockies? June, July, or August? @Polarbear: Where in BC would your recommend some clueless Americans go? Lazyeye, sorry for the late reply. In addition to all the nice route suggestions people have already made, maybe consider riding the South Okanagan and a bit further up north. If you're coming from the south --pretty safe suggestion, eh?--that would be your best bet I would think. Nelson and surrounding is full of good, nice, loooooong sweepers and nice scenery. In fact, this is where we are having a VFR meet in July. I would also recomment you check out DestinationHighwaysBC. Their website is full of great roads, ranked by scenery, twistiness, engineering, etc. Take your pick. Lots of those roads are in Southern BC, some on Vancouver Island. But between Nelson and Kamloops, there are lots to choose from. I hope this helps. Good luck and ride safe. C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superfunkomatic Posted April 27, 2016 Share Posted April 27, 2016 If you do come to Alberta and pass through Calgary let me know. I'd be happy to take you on a tour of Kananaskis or the Icefields Parkway/Banff/Lake Louise areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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